


Burden of Talent

by ExoZadakh



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:38:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24740179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExoZadakh/pseuds/ExoZadakh
Summary: Bea competes for her chance to move up to the Major League, but knows she’ll have to best the renowned Psychic Gym Leader to get there.  Despite the extreme pressure she’s under, will she be able to pull it off?
Kudos: 1





	Burden of Talent

“Critical hit!”

Machamp stumbled back. Boltund hopped to the side, teeth still glowing from her Psychic Fangs attack; from the far end of the field, a woman in a bright yellow tracksuit laughed.

“Nice one, girl!” she said. “Way to show we’re still in this!”

The crowd cheered. At the head of the bleachers stood a referee sent by the League, tightly gripping his mic as he said, “It’s neck and neck, folks! Both contestants are down to their sixth and final Pokémon, and both Pokémon are on their last legs! Will number 100, Ginger, finally be able to snag a win? Or will this cap off the near-flawless streak of number 193, Bea?”

Bea took a deep breath. Calmly, she said, “Machamp, use Fire Punch.”

The Pokémon ran forward, flames wreathing all four of her fists. Ginger said, “Yeah right! Agility!”

Boltund broke into a sprint just as Machamp swung. She ran around the edge of the field, Machamp doing her best to track her; Bea clenched her fist for a moment, but quickly uncurled her fingers.

“You’ve really put us through the wringer, Bea!” Ginger said. “But, don’t think I’m gonna give up my last chance at the Cup so easily! Ready, Boltund? This is no time to hold back! Mow her down with Wild Charge!”

An aura of pale voltage began to emanate from Boltund as she ran. All Machamp could do was wait for the attack to come, so she raised her fists with a grunt. Boltund was just rounding a corner when she suddenly changed direction, lunging at Machamp, and Bea shouted, “Now!”

Machamp whirled around to face Boltund. Extending her lower arms, she grabbed the dog as they collided, struggling to stay upright as the force of the charge pushed her back along the field. Gradually, they ground to a halt, and Machamp raised her upper arms.

Suddenly realizing what was happening, Ginger said, “Uh-oh! Boltund, get out of there!”

The Pokémon tried to obey, but she was too weary from her reckless attack to break free of Machamp’s hold. Bea’s eyes shot wide and, throwing a punch, she shouted, “Cross Chop!”

Machamp swung her arms, their arcs intersecting just as they slammed into Boltund. The force of the blow knocked the canine free; she hit the ground, rolled back up onto her feet, and swayed once, twice, three times before finally collapsing.

“Boltund is unable to battle!” the referee yelled. “Victory goes to number 193, the Fighting Gym Leader Bea!”

“Ah, no!” Ginger shouted. “Darn it…sorry, Boltund. You did a great job.”

She recalled the Pokémon to her ball. Bea let out a breath, glancing down at her outstretched arm. Hastily, she pulled her limb back and straightened herself, and then walked over to Machamp’s side. “Excellent work, Machamp.”

The Pokémon flexed her muscles, shouting in victory. With a nod, Bea returned her to her ball, and then turned to Ginger and bowed.

“Thank you for the match,” she said.

“Yeah, no problem,” Ginger said, her body drooping a bit despite her attempt to be cheery. “Man, I was really hoping I’d make it to the Cup…best of luck to you, Bea. From what I’ve seen of the competition, you’re gonna need it!”

The screen flicked off. Setting the remote down, Bea silently reflected on the match until she heard the locker room door open. In stepped a large man with carefully-styled blond hair, his eyes obscured by sharp blue sunglasses. He paused for just a moment, but then smiled confidently, adopting a well-practiced relaxed-looking stance.

“Gordie,” she said. “I didn’t realize you were here.”

He adjusted his eyewear. “Just thought it’d pay to check on the competition.”

“You wanted to see who would win?”

“Heh. I knew who was gonna win. Ginger’s lost every qualifier match she’s been in—no way was she taking you down.”

“She put up a good fight. You were also down to your last Pokémon against her, weren’t you?”

“ _Second_ to last,” Gordie quickly corrected, “and that was just because she surprised me!”

“You said something similar when I defeated you in our match. Are you so easily surprised?”

He frowned, pausing a moment. “I underestimated you. I’ll admit it. Figured you were the same person I beat last year, and it cost me. If I want to beat you in the Cup again, I need to take you a lot more seriously, so I came to get another look at how you fight.”

Bea stayed quiet, staring him down.

“I think I’ve seen what I need. So I wanted to stop by and let you know…” Gordie smiled again, this time removing his sunglasses as he beamed. “This year, I’m going to win the MLE Cup!”

“We shall see,” was all Bea said.

Gordie chuckled, giving a short wave as he headed off. Bea crossed the room, recalling her most recent match with Gordie, reviewing his Pokémon and tactics to prepare counter-strategies ahead of time.

_I can never let my guard down._

Bea drew a towel from her locker, quickly wiping away her sweat, and then opened her duffle bag to pull out her shoes. After slipping them on, she closed the door and—

“…’Ello.”

Bea’s heart jumped a little. Allister stood there, though she couldn’t guess when he had approached.

“Hello Allister,” she greeted. “So, what did you think of the match?”

Allister moved back and forth slightly, almost as if pushed by a wind only he felt. “It was good…’m happy you won, Bea. H-Here…”

He offered a small bag. Bea accepted it and peeked inside to find a bundle of eclairs, and instantly her mouth began to water. With a smile, she said, “Thank you! That’s very kind, Allister.”

She took a bite of one, eyes shutting tight as she took in the burst of sweetness. Allister said, “Eight out of nine…you’re in the Cup now, right?”

“Most likely,” Bea said, hefting her duffle. “The remaining few qualifiers should be done by the end of the week. I’ll hear from the League around then. Are you headed back to town?”

Allister nodded. Bea waved him over, and they left the gym together. Outside, some of the spectators were still loitering; a few cheers came, but Bea simply waved while moving quickly enough to discourage anyone from approaching, with Allister hiding behind her as best he could. He relaxed gradually as they walked farther away from the dock where the crowd congregated, finally letting go of her when they reached a dusty road sign.

“Do you want me to call you a taxi?” Bea asked.

Allister shook his head. Now at a more leisurely pace, they stepped onto the road and began the long walk back to Stow-on-Side. The first leg of their journey was totally silent; the mountain walls rose high on either side of the path, creating an isolated sort of tension, broken up by the sporadic calls of wild Pokémon living nearby.

“…Bea?” Allister said.

“Yes?”

“At Ballonlea…they’re performing _Arthur’s Journey_ tonight.”

“Oh. Are you going to go?”

“…Wanted to…parents can’t…but, um…uh…”

Bea quickly caught on. “You want to know if I can take you?”

Allister nodded slightly.

“Well, I’m a bit tired…but it has been a while since I’ve been to the theater. May I think about it for a bit?”

He nodded. They travelled again in silence for the next few minutes, until Allister said, “…Bea…”

“Yes?”

“If you win the Cup…will you be assigned somewhere else…or will you take over the Stow-on-Side gym?”

Bea’s next step came a little slower. “…It’s hard to say for sure. If I am moved to the Major League for the coming season, it’s the organizers’ call where I‘ll be sent, and which leader currently in the Majors they’ll ask to step down.”

“…Can I…volunteer?”

Facing him, Bea asked, “What? Why would you want to do that?”

“…’M still not sure ‘bout being in the Majors…s-so many people. And…um…that way…”

Bea waited patiently as he prepared himself.

“That way…we’d both still be in Stow-on-Side…”

Bea stopped. Crouching down, she said, “Allister…how about this? Even if I get assigned to a gym in some other town, I promise I’ll still come to visit you every day.”

Allister bobbed back and forth a bit. Then, with a sniff, he said, “…’K. Thanks, Bea.”

She smiled. Standing back up, she offered her hand; Allister took it, and they resumed their trek. It wasn’t much longer until they made it to town, and not much past the city limits, they came upon Allister’s home. Bea handed him one of the eclairs and sent him in, and then continued down the street. Her body grew more tense with every step.

Soon she came upon another house. Taking a deep breath, she walked onto the porch and rang the doorbell, waiting mere seconds until a woman opened it.

“Hello, mother,” Bea said with a bow. “May I come in?”

The woman stepped back. “I was wondering what was taking so long. Come, tell us how you did.”

Bea stepped inside, deposited her shoes and bag near the door, and made her way to the living room. A man sat in a large chair in the corner, barely looking up from his newspaper to acknowledge her.

“Hello, father,” Bea said, bowing again. “I wanted to tell the both of you that I won the match. I should hear from the League shortly, and given my performance in the qualifiers, I am confident that I will be moving on to the Cup proper.”

“I heard how you performed,” her father said, inclining his head to look at her. “They say it was neck and neck.”

“And I pulled ahead.”

He shook his head with a sigh. “This Ginger girl hasn’t won a single qualifier. You nearly lost to someone like that.”

“Though she may not have achieved any victories this year, her losses were always quite narrow. Ginger _is_ a skilled Gym Leader.”

“Hardly,” said her mother, walking past her with a tea tray. “I’ve seen her battle: the girl’s an amateur. I’m surprised to hear you struggled against her.”

“She struggled against the Steel leader, too,” her father said, turning back to his paper as the tray was set next to him. “Even with the type advantage, that fight could’ve gone either way. It was almost as bad as watching her fight with that boy from Circhester last year.”

“I am able to defeat Gordie now, as I did in our qualifier match,” Bea muttered, her gaze falling. A creeping sense of shame was stirring inside her, but the emotion was dulled, too distant for it to truly feel real.

“It’s a start, I suppose,” her father said.

“Practice up before the Cup, dear,” her mother said. “You can’t be so rusty if you want out of the Minors. I really expected you would’ve replaced that creepy little boy by now.”

_Allister’s not creepy. He’s a wonderful Gym Leader, and the fact that he’s achieved so much despite his anxiety is nothing short of incredible._ Still, even believing in those words as much as she did, she couldn’t make herself speak them aloud.

“And don’t slack in your karate training, either,” her father added. “You’ve still got a few more ranks to rise through.”

“…Yes, of course,” Bea said quietly. “I will continue to work hard.”

Her parents nodded, and then they both returned to their own business. Offering a final bow just because, Bea saw herself out, and headed straight for her apartment on the other side of town. Once inside, she immediately let her Pokémon out of their balls and sat down to meditate. The process didn’t quite clear her mind as intended: she managed to not focus on any one thing in particular, but it still felt as though all those thoughts occupied space, weighing her down to produce more a cluttered feeling of blankness than of calm. She already knew this was the best she could do as of late.

_I need to train…_

Bea opened her eyes. Rather than getting up, however, she remained seated. That blank feeling still filled her head, and perhaps that was the reason why she could not find the will to move.

_I need to improve my karate. Once I’ve reached the top rank, then…_

She didn’t know what would come after that.

_And, the Cup. I need to prepare, I need to win. I need to get into the Major League, so I…_

Slowly, she began to slouch.

_…Why…am I doing this…again?_

Sitting hunched over, Bea ran her hands over her face, the blank feeling transforming to a more precise sensation of weary numbness.

_I like karate. I like Pokémon battles. I picked these up because I enjoyed them. But, now…I’m not sure if I still do. So is there really a reason to keep doing them? I don’t want to just give up, but…I…_

Sadness rushed into her then. She wasn’t exactly sure which part she was saddened by, but whatever the cause, she responded by pushing back against it, getting the rogue emotion out of her mind, and then inhaled sharply and pushed herself up onto her feet.

_…What exercise should I do first?_

Bea’s eyes caught on her phone as she crossed the room. Remembering she still needed to give Allister an answer, she walked over to it, trying to arrive at a decision quickly.

_I have a lot to do—I really should focus on my training._

She stared at the screen for about a minute before opening her messenger.

_…But…_

The text was composed shortly, confirming she would take Allister to the play, and sent before she had the chance to second-guess it.

_Maybe I feel…guilty._

Bea pocketed her phone and moved to the kitchen. Sitting on the counter was the bag holding the last few eclairs; it tempted her for a moment, but she shook her head, placing them in the fridge and then leaving the room.

***

The two Gym Leaders from Stow-on-Side, both dressed in black suits for the occasion, made their way to the forest theater early in order to get to their seats before the crowd thickened. They had only just made it through the door when they spotted Opal discussing something with her staff.

“I’d say we’ll need about 50 more,” she was saying. “Thank you, my dear—I’ll be sure you get a nice bonus for taking care of this.”

The staff member ran off, and Opal turned enough to notice her patrons. Bea bowed and said, “Good evening, Miss Opal. You look well.”

“I had better: my makeup artists can make a Lucario look like a Cinderace, I’d be appalled if they couldn’t make an old woman just a smidge more presentable. Lovely to see the both of you.”

Allister stepped out from behind Bea as Opal drew near, saying, “Thanks for savin’ our seats, Miss Opal. ‘Ve really been looking forward to this show.”

“My pleasure, child. It still has me tickled pink to see you developing an interest in the theater. Passing on the torch is a vital part of keeping the stage alive.” Bending, she held out a small piece of candy, and Allister took it with a nod. “I’m afraid I can’t stay and chat, however. There are a few last-minute concerns I have to attend to. But, if you’re not in a hurry, I’d love to visit with you after the show. Enjoy!”

She made her way towards a staff exit, while Bea and Allister proceeded through the main entrance. (Allister passed the candy off to Bea once they were through the door, and she quickly popped it into her mouth.) An usher guided them up a flight of stairs to a private box; others slowly streamed in below, filling up the seats one by one. Eventually, the lights went down and the crowd hushed. And then, slowly, the curtain began to rise.

“My name is Arthur,” came a voice, spotlights flicking on and moving into position. “And today, my journey begins.”

Now properly revealed, the stage was centered around a tower-like scaffolding, at the peak of which stood a man with golden armor and a confident grin. Somewhat lower, on a platform that extended farther out, stood a Gardevoir, and scattered about the base were humans and Pokémon all kneeling before them.

Arthur flourished one hand—the Gardevoir did the same with her opposite hand. “I have lived in this town all my life, but it has nothing left to offer me. You see, I am something of a genius—born with an innate skill for Pokémon battling, a talent that has served me well! Not once have I been defeated!”

Those at the base of the scaffolding began to slip away. Arthur put his hand on his hip, Gardevoir again mirroring his action.

“I have enjoyed my victories, but alas, I find they now grow stale. I yearn for new opponents, new victories! It is time for the whole world to know that I was born a master! With my trusty Gardevoir at my side, I set forth! Off to the far reaches of Galar, and then, wherever the wind may take us!”

The scenery shifted as Arthur and Gardevoir continued to flourish, accompanied by short bursts of special effects. Bea glanced at Allister: the boy was kicking his legs back and forth, eyes fixed on the stage.

Soon, the scenery came to a halt as a woman walked on-stage. Arthur called down, “Good day! I am Arthur—perhaps you have heard of me?”

The woman shook her head. “No, I have not.”

“…Ah. Well, I am a Pokémon master in the midst of a journey, finding new foes I can display my skill against. Not once in my life have I had a single loss! If I may, I would like to challenge you to a Pokémon battle, miss!”

With a shrug, the woman said, “Alright.”

“Excellent! Go, Gardevoir!”

Gardevoir gave a short cry as the woman retrieved a Poké Ball. From it emerged an Aegislash, in Shield Stance, who fixed his single eye on his opponent and did not look away.

“Hm, I see,” Arthur said. “In that case. Gardevoir! Shadow Ball!”

Gardevoir held her hands forward, a sphere of dark energy quickly forming between them. The woman said, “Use Shadow Sneak.”

At once, Aegislash faded from view. He returned a second later, now rising up right behind Gardevoir, and smacked the back of her head with his shield—she lost focus, and the energy she had been charging dissipated.

“Oh?” Arthur said. “I see. Try again, Gardevoir!”

Aegislash floated back as Gardevoir prepared a second Shadow Ball. She fired this one, but Aegislash spun nimbly out of the way as he switched fully to his Sword Stance.

“Weaken her with Shadow Claw,” the woman said.

Aegislash darted out, blade cloaked in darkness. Gardevoir recoiled, stumbling about in an attempt to recover, and Arthur’s confident smile gave way to a worried frown.

“Gardevoir?” he said. “What is this? Come on, take it down!”

“That should be enough,” the woman said. “Finish with Iron Head.”

Giving a shout, Aegislash rammed his pommel directly into Gardevoir’s mid-section. The Fairy Pokémon was knocked from her footing, discreetly using her psychic powers to float in place a moment for dramatic effect before gently lowering herself to the stage floor. Arthur’s jaw dropped, and the scaffolding shook. He crouched, and the scaffolding seemed to collapse, shedding bits and pieces as it quickly retracted down into the stage, bringing Arthur down to the same level as everyone else. His armor shattered, revealing mere rags beneath.

“I…lost?” he said. “But how? I am a prodigy! Are…my skills simply not enough?”

The woman walked off-stage, her Aegislash following. Bea shifted in her seat.

From there, the play turned to more traditional scenes, showing Arthur realize there was still much for him to learn, making some progress, and challenging the woman again only to once again fail. In the final act, he again trained, challenged her, and lost, ultimately declaring that while he may be a prodigy, he is not the strongest in the world. Now a bit more humble, he returned home, and the play ended. Bea took a quick breath before turning to Allister.

“They did good,” the boy said. “Did you like it?”

Bea managed a smile. “Yes. It was well-performed.”

“Good…um…do we have time to visit Miss Opal?”

“Of course.”

Just outside of their box was a stairwell blocked off by staff, but the guard nodded and stepped aside when they approached. The steps led them backstage without needing to brave the crowds; it was a bit hectic still, the actors all hastily wrapping things up and conferring with one another, so Allister clung to Bea as they made their way towards Opal’s office. The door was open, but after taking a step in they realized Opal was not alone. Sitting on the side of her desk was a woman who looked to be in her 40s, wearing a flashy tuxedo with 092 printed on the jacket; she looked up as the newcomers arrived and, grinning immediately, hopped to the floor with an audible clack.

“Oh look here!” she said. “If it isn’t Bea and Allister—how are the two of you doing? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you! Well, I suppose not that long, Bea.”

Allister grew a bit tense, but it was Bea who found herself jolted stiff at the sight. Recovering quickly, she bowed and said, “A-Ah, yes. Nice to see you again, Miss Sage. What brings you here?”

“The Gardevoir in tonight’s performance was originally caught by Sage,” Opal said, remaining in her seat.

“Yes,” Sage said, “turned out she had a passion for theater, so I left her in the care of our favorite Fairy-type Gym Leader for guidance. I always try to stop by for her performances, and my schedule for this week was already largely free, so…” She finished with a shrug.

“So,” Opal said, “what did you two think?”

“It was a wonderful performance,” Bea said. “We both enjoyed it very much, right Allister?”

Allister nodded, finally stepping forward. “Yes…I had fun. Lookin’ forward to next show.”

Sage absent-mindedly walked to the side, each step clacking softly. “So Bea! I heard you beat Ginger today! You had a phenomenal showing in this year’s qualifiers!”

An awkward feeling swelled in Bea’s chest. “Thank you. I’m told you had a flawless victory streak—congratulations.”

Sage waved her hand. “Ah, it was nothing. Been fun to get back into the swing of things!”

“I have to wonder,” Opal said, “did you drop out of the Majors just because you thought the Minor League Exhibition would be fun to take part in?”

Sage spun to face her. “Hm? Oh, no, I just felt like a year off would do me good. And it has! Plus, after Kabu’s thrilling victory last year, I wasn’t about to let him _not_ take back Motostoke.”

“Hah! You’re as soft as ever, I see.”

Shrugging, Sage shuffled her feet briefly, stringing her shoe’s clacks together into a pleasant melody. “Ah, maybe, maybe…”

Allister gave a short giggle. Bea, however, had yet to relax.

“Well, regardless!” Sage said, casually snatching up a scarf and cane that had been set nearby. “I’d best be on my way, I suppose. Lovely seeing you all! And Bea!” She pointed with the head of her cane, smiling playfully. “I shall see you in the Cup!”

Bea nodded. “I look forward to it.”

Sage took her leave, spinning her cane and humming to herself as she went. Opal and Allister began to converse, but Bea continued to stare after Sage, lost in thought.

_I have to find a way to beat her. I_ need _to win the Cup._

**Author's Note:**

> -Ideally I wanted to finish this before posting it, but I got stuck to the point of essentially cancelling it…then I fell into a creative slump for a bit and in my attempts to dig myself back out, I’m so eager to just post something that I decided to spruce up what I had and give it a whirl. I’d like to say I’ll finish this, but I just can’t promise anything.  
> -I kind of had a “love at first sight” moment when Bea was revealed; something about her character design just really resonates with me, and with the extra bits of information we got from her League Cards I found she had some (potential) struggles that I could project onto—er, relate to. So, that’s why I wanted to write her.  
> -Having Bea in the Minor League better facilitated the arc I wanted to tell, and the MLE Cup seemed like a good way to instigate some conflict while fitting well into the established setup of the Galar League. Since there are supposedly 18 gyms that cycle out, here the 10 Minor League Gyms compete in qualifier matches to determine which 8 go on to the Cup proper, and through their battles there the organizers evaluate them and decide who they want to move to the Majors for the coming season. The idea was that this is Shield universe, hence Bea and Gordie both being in Minors and Allister in Majors, but I have no idea what sort of timeframe this would be relative to the game plot so…maybe it isn’t Shield universe technically? I dunno.  
> -I actually went ahead and came up with some basic info for enough Gym Leaders to fill out the Minor League, as well as numbers for all of them (goroawase is so freaking complicated), though I’m not sure all will actually end up being shown. This was done before Klara and Avery were revealed, so Sage here is my take on a Psychic Gym Leader. Her number 092 can be read “okutsu”, or “shoe”, because she’s a tap dancer. (So you can probably guess which Pokémon will be her ace.)  
> -Ginger’s number 100 can be read “denwa”, or “electricity”. Boltund just seemed like a solid pick. Also don’t think we’re going to see the Normal Gym Leader since she also didn’t make the cut for the Cup proper: I was going to go with Heather, number 060 (“omure”, or “flock”), with a Dubwool as her ace.  
> -The Minor League Gym where Bea is currently assigned is a mile or so west of Stow-on-Side, and can be reached either via the mountain pass or a ferry based in town. If we’re going with the idea that this is Shield universe, then in Sword universe Allister is probably assigned at this location instead. I don’t want to separate them.


End file.
